Method of combining and desiccating substances



A. c. BEARDSLEE "unmon 0F commune AND DESICCATING suasmuczs v May 12, 1925. w

Filed Feb. 24, 1922 l "9 m Q May 12, 1925.

A. c, BEARDSLEE METHOD OF COMBINING- AND DESICCATiNG SUBSTANCES Filed Feb. 24. 1922 3 SheetSI-Sheet 2 May 12, 1925.

A. BEARDSLEE METHOD OF COMBINING AND DESICCATING SUBSTANCES Filed Feb. 24. 1922 3 SheetsQ-Sheit 3 7V7%\\ /%IIIIIIIIH iii] Patented May 12, 1925. i

UNITED STATES PATENT. Pics".

ARTHUR CARL BEARDSLEE, OF ARCADE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 MERRELL-SOUIE COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF COMBINING AND DESICCATING SUBSTANCES.

Application filed February 24,1932. Serial No. saasaa.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR CARL BEARDS- I LEE, of Arcade, in the county of Wyoming,

in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Combining and Desiccating 'Substances, of which. the following, taken in connection with the accompany ng drawings, 1s a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a process for simultaneously combining and desiccating two liquids.

There are many liquid substances that it is desirable to reduce to dry form in combined conditlon, such, as for Instance, milk and eggs, and there are many other substances that are not adapted for desiccatlon by the spraying process, or. when desiccated by that process do not process a stable powder. For instance, fruit julce, such as orange or lemon juice, when atomized nto a current of moisture-absorbing air, and practically all of the liquid constituents of the juice vaporized, becomes a product of a more or less gummy nature, or perhaps a powdered product of extremely hygroscopic character, so that when exposed to the atmosphere it becomes of a gummy, sticky nature, and is, therefore, of an unstable character. With suchsubstances, it is desirableto combine a drying promoter which will render the dry powder quite stable.

Such a substance is glucose, or corn syrup. a product produced by the hydrolysis of starch, or in many cases starchitself is an eflicient and desirable drying promoter, and the object of this invention 1s, therefore,

to produce an improved process for efl'ect- Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of h the air-introducing device. a

Figure 3 is a section or the air introducing device taken at right angles to Figure 2. Figure 4 is a side elevation of a suitable spray nozzle.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the same.

introducing devices are substantially the same as disclosed in Letters-Patent No. 1,102,601, issued to Merrell-Soule Company as the assignor of I. S. Merrell and O. E. Merrell, and the spray nozzle shown is substantially the same as that disclosed in Letters-Patent No. 1,183,393 issued to Merrell- Soule Company as the assignor of I. S. Merrell and O. E. Merrell.

The desiccating devices comprise adesiceating chamber -1 of any suitable form and shape having a suitable screened outlet or dust collector -'2. the construction of the latter being substantially the same as that shown in said Letters-Patent referred to. Should it be desirable to simultaneously combine anddesiccate milk and eggs or fruit juice and someliquid product produced by the hydrolysis of starch, as for instance, glucose, the fruit juice, is forced under high pressure thru a pipe -3, while the glucose is forced under high, pressure through a p1p e -40, both of which pipes terminate 1n a spray nozzle by means of which the liquid substances are divided into liquids combine and unite and are instantaneously and practically completely dried by vaporization of the water contents of the sprays, the air and vapor escaping from the chamber preferably through suitable screening devices, while the practically dry powder gravitates to the floor of the chamber or is collected and separated from the air and vapor by the screening devices.

The air introducing devices shown comprise a wind trunk --5 through which air rdesiccating chamber.

is forced by any suitable air blower or pump (not shown). This wind trunk commumcates with an air whirling chamber disposed intermediate'the wind trunk and the desiccating chamber. This chamber is preferably substantially circular in cross section, and receives heated air under pressure from the trunk -5- through a lurality of tangential inlet channels These channels are shown as four in number equally spaced around the whirling chamher, and of substantially equal conveying capacity. Each channel may extend the length of the cylindrical part 8 of the chamber 6. The air portion of the trunk .5 through. these tangential channels is set into rapid whirling motion by cylindrical walls -8- and -9-- of said chamber. The axis of the chamber -6 is preferably horizontal and at substantially right angles to the Walls of the desiccating chamber 1. This air whirling chamber may be formed by a pair of substantially concentric walls --8-- and -9 connected at their rear by transverse annular Wall -11-., said concentric wall having its forward end tapered forwardly to form an annular constructed outlet communicating with the desiccating chamber. Preferably the taper or" the wall -8- is somewhat greater than the taper of the wall -9 to further restrict the outlet and increase the pressure under which the air passes into the The wall -9 may terminate a short distance at the rear of the terminationof the wall --10, and. as the wall -9 is open at its rear it constitutes a substantially cylindrical chamber through which the pipes 3 and 40 pass to the spray nozzles 4, and preferably the forward end of the spray nozzles are just in front of the terminatlon of the wall 8. This cylindrical chamber formed within the wall -9 communicates at its rear with the trunk 5, and acts to convey a direct current of air surrounding an enveloping the s ra as it is propelled from the spra 'n evices, all surrounded and envelo ed by fine whirling current of air issuing cm the chamber 6. This construction is peculiarly .eflicient in effecting instaneous and substantially complete vaporization of the liquid constituents of the atomized combining solution and in. effecting an economy in s ace due perhaps to the rotary movement 0 the air and spray. The spraying devices, as shown in Figure 6, comprise a body 12, a ca 13-, a casing 14 secured to the cap y threaded engagement in such a manner as to confine the body 12between the cap 13 and the casing -14.-. Further, the nozzle comprises a spray disk 15, a clutch 16, a clutch pin -17--, a screen -18-, a screen supporting ring --19' and a washer 20-' all arranged in substantially the manner disclosed in the aforesaid atents so that the body -12- has a liqui whirling chamber 21-, at themiddleof its outer sides, to which the liquid is conveyed by two ducts 22 and communicate at their outer end with the cham- '25 I to the evase ajutage 26-- through the trunk 5 and forced into the desiccating chamber through the concentric chambers of the air introducin device in the manner heretofore described. The liquid is introduced into this current of heated air in atomized condition, the liquid as orange or lemon juice being introduced through the pipe --3 and its spray nozzle 4, while the drying promoter, as for instance, glucose, is introduced through the pipe 40- and its nozzle 4. "The atomized'liquids forcibly intermingled and combined are carried spirally forward by the heated current of air, and the liquid constitutents are substantially completely: vaporized. A portion of the resulting powder gravitates to the bottom of the desiccating chamber, and the remaining portion is carried by the escapin air into the dust collecting or screening evice 2 whereby the air and vapor are separated from the powder carried thereby, the air and vapor escaping, while the powder is retained within the collecting device, and in the use of this particular appalaiatus, the powder is later deposited wit the desiccating chamber and commingled with the collecting therein.

It will be obvious that by this process in the utilization of the substances described there results a powder which consists of the solids of the juice of a fruit combined with a drying promoter, in this instance, a product produced by the hydrolysis of starch, preferably glucose, and such product is of a stable, nonhygroscopic nature and can be returned to form a table fruit juice by the mere addition 0 the required amount of water. In referring to the product of the spraying process described herein as comprising or consisting of spherical particles, I meanto powder primarily ph re r-f g ente t ereofsions a product of hydrolyzed starch or a product produced by the hydrolysis of starchis deemed to include not only the immediateproduct such-as glucose, of vary ing contents of dextrin, dextrose and maltose, but also the derivatives or components of such product.

It will be understood that I have described a specific method of simultaneously combining and desiccating two liquid substances or solutions and have illustrated a specific apparatus as utilizable in the'carrying out of that process. I do not desire to limit myself to any particular liquid sub- 5 stances to be combined or to the specific details of the preferred process as herein described as various changes and modifications may be made in the details of the process and in the material to be simultaneously combined and desiccated without departing from this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The process consisting in atomizing two liquid substances in such a manner as to forcibly intermingle and combine the substances and simultaneously. subjecting the intermingled combining substances to the action of a current of moisture-absorbing air to reduce the combined substance to a powder.

2. The process consisting in forcibly intermingling and combining two difierent liquid 35 substances while in atomized form and simultaneously subjecting the combining subuid substance to atomized form,

stances to theaction of a current of mois-- ture-absorbing air to reduce the combined substancesto a powder.

3. The process comprising reducing a liqforcibly injecting into said atomized liquid a different liquid substance in atomized form to thoroughly intermingle and combine the minute particles of the substances and simultaneously subjecting the combining substances to the action of a current of moisture-absorbing air to reduce the combined substance to a powder. I

4. The process consisting in simultaneously combining and desiccating to solid form two different liquid substances.

5. The process of producing a product in ARTHUR CABLBEARDSLEE.

Witnesses:

D. H. HICKS, D. C. Bamr. 

